Oil burning furnace



Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of stoves and furnaces and pertains particularly to an improved oil burning heater or furnace.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved oil burner stove or furnace in which novel means is employed for effecting the complete combustion of the fuel oil whereby the maximum of heat value will be obtained from the fuel.

Another object of the invention is to provide an oil burning furnace wherein novel means is employed for introducing air for mixture with the vaporized oil whereby complete combustion of the fuel is obtained and a minimum of carbon deposit results.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a noveloil burner structure in which a combined fire pot and water jacket unit is employed which serves the double function of providing a receptacle in which the oil is vaporized and means for supplying domestic hot water in addition to the water heated in the unit for the usual heat radiating purposes.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims,

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section thru a heating structure built in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in bottom plan of the central portion of the air chamber of the heater per se.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I generally designates the furnace wall which is here shown as being divided intoan upper double-walled water cell unit 2 and a lower hollow unit 3 which constitutes an insulation structure, invthat the interior of the unit has only air therein which serves as an insulation medium. The furnace structure as a whole is preferably of circular cross-section and the water unit 2 has the integral domed top 4 thru the central part of which a passageway 5 is formed for the escape of products of combustion. In this passageway may be secured the end of a flue pipe 6.

Pipes 1 are coupled with the outer wall of the shell 2 so as to carry oif the heated water to radiators or other units and any suitable means may be employed for returning the water to the unit 2, as for example, thru the domestic water heating portion of the furnace structure =-5 which will be hereinafter more fully described.

Disposed in the central part of the furnace casing is a unit in the form preferably of a casting which is generally indicated by the numeral v 8 and which as shown has an outer vertical wall 10 portion 9 which is closed by the bottom wall I0 and which has within its upper portion the fire pot II. This pot has its wall downwardly tapering, and is joined integrally with the transverse wall or web I2, while its top edge is joined with the outer wall 9 by the short web l3, thus forming the closed area I4 which constitutes a water jacket around the fire pot.

Any suitable means may be employed for supporting the unit 8 within the furnace structure, such as the legs l5 which maintain the bottom ID a substantial distance above the floor 16 upon which the furnace stands. This bottom: I!) of the unit is provided with a central opening I! and a cover plate I8 is secured to the lower face of the bottom by the screws l9, by which it may be adjusted relative to the opening so as to regulate the fiow of air thru the opening, as hereinafter described.

The wall 9 of the unit 8 has connected therewith an air inlet pipe 20, by means of which air is supplied to the chamber 2! which is located beneath the fire pot. Extending thru the air pipe or conduit 29 is a main oil supply pipe 22 and a smaller pipe 23 which conducts gas to a '35 pilot nozzle located within the fire pot, indicated by the numeral 24.

The bottom wall of the fire pot II is raised at its center and has an opening 25 therethru V which is surrounded by an upstanding collar 26. Engaging over the collar 26 and resting upon the bottom of the fire pot is an upwardly extending air tube 21, the upper end of which opens into a hollow sphere 28. This tube is provided with a lower and an upper circular series of air inlet openings 29 and the sphere is also provided with air inlet openings 30 which are arranged in a circle or in circles in a horizontal plane above the top edge of the fire pot.

The pilot pipe 23 extends upwardly thru the opening 25 and then later-ally thru the wall of the air pipe 2! and terminates near the bottom of the fire pot and in relatively close proximity to the side wall thereof. The terminus of the pilot pipe is also preferably located near 36 the inlet end of the oil pipe 22 so that oil entering thru the pipe 28 will be immediately ignited.

Disposed exteriorly of the furnace structure is a receptacle 3! and this receptacle is connected at its top and bottom with the water jacket or water-filled area I4 surrounding the fire pot, by the pipes 32 and 33 which, as shown, connect respectively with the top and bottom portion of the receptacle [4. An outlet pipe 35 is connected with the top part of the receptacle 3| and a cold water inlet 36 extends thru the top of the receptacle to a point adjacent the bottom thereof so that as water is drawn off it will be replenished thru this pipe.

As previously stated, any suitable means may be employed for returning cooled water to the cell 2 after it has passed thru radiating units, and such means may consist of a pipe coupled into the lower part of the unit 2. In installations where the domestic water heater 3| is not desired, the unit I4 may be employed as a booster for the heating system and in this case the upper part of this unit may be coupled with the water jacket 2 by a suitable pipe, as illustrated in clotted outline and indicated by the numeral 31, and a return flow pipe line may be run in to the lower part of the unit or water jacket M, as indicated at 38, where such pipe is indicated in broken lines. It will thus be seen that the circulation of hot water in the system will then be made more rapid by reason of the fact that the water in the unit 4 will become highly heated quickly and in rising will force the water from the jacket 2 into the system. When the furnace is used in this manner, the pipes 32 and 33 may be coupled together or the upper one may be replaced by a plug to close the upper part of the jacket and the lower pipe 33 may be coupled with the cold water side of the house water system so that additional water may be run into the system when necessary.

In the operation of the present oil burner, the oil as it is first introduced thru the pipe 22 into the lower part of the fire pot will spread over the bottom of the pot and will be ignited from the pilot 24. As the fire pot heats up the newly introduced oil will be immediately vaporized and the constantly increasing temperature of the fire pot will cause the ignition area of the vapor to rise until the lower part of the fire pot will be completely filled with vapor and the ignition or burning thereof will take place at the top. This vapor will be supplied with the proper amount of air necessary for its complete combustion, thru the opening 25 and the openings 29 of the vertical air pipe 21, the air passing first thru the chamber 2| where it will be heated to a certain extent. It will thus be seen that as the ignition plane for the oil vapor rises in the fire pot, air will be admitted into the pot and will mix with the vapor so that a thorough combustion of the vapor will take place.

' The arrows indicate the course followed by the air entering the furnace thru the pipe 2'! and from the apertured sphere 28, and it will be seen that as the oil is vaporized the air entering will strike the side walls of the fire pot and will be deflected upwardly and as it passes from the top of the pot additional air will be discharged as indicated by the arrows, from the sphere 28, so that complete combustion will take place and a blue-white flame will be developed. This flame is spread by the air from the sphere 28 against the sides of the water cell or jacket 2 and as it strikes this part of the structure some air will be mixed in the fiame from the area 39 which is formed between the furnace wall and the wall 9 of the unit 8. This air rising thru the area 39 flows thereinto thru the opening [1, and the amount of air entering in this manner may be effectively controlled by regulating the position of the plate l8 relative to the bottom II].

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that in addition to providing a novel means for efiiciently consuming oil for heating fuel purposes, the invention provides a novel means for supplying domestic hot water and employs for this means a water jacket for the fire pot and there is thus obtained the double function of preventing the fire pot, which may be of metal, from becoming heated beyond a desired degree, and simultaneously providing hot water for either domestic or for radiation purposes.

By the novel construction of the fire pot whereby the vaporized oil rises to the top of the pot as the same becomes heated so that when the system is running properly the flame will be at the top only of the fire pot, the pilot 24 will be extinguished while the furnace is in full operation by reason of the fact that the gas entering thru the pilot tip will be shut off from the necessary oxygen for its combustion. After the furnace has shut down and the fire pot begins to cool, the fiame will subside and return to the bottom of the pot where it will again ignite the gas from the pilot tip 2 3 before the remaining vaporized oil is all consumed and the furnace becomes completely shut off.

What is claimed is:

1. An oil burning furnace, comprising a casing, a fire pot in the casing and supported above the bottom thereof, said fire pot having a bottom having a central air inlet opening, means forming an air chamber beneath the bottom of the pot and having said opening communicating therewith, means in the pot for receiving air from said opening, and carrying it upwardly and discharging it in spaced horizontal planes in and above the fire pot, means for introducing air into said chamber, means for delivering fuel liquid into the fire pot, said pot and chamber being spaced from the casing providing an air passageway surrounding the pot, an outlet in the casing above the pot for the escape of fuel gases, and a damper controlled air outlet in the bottom of said chamber.

2. An oil burning furnace, comprising a casing, a fire pot in the casing and supported above the bottom thereof, said fire pot having a bottom having a central air inlet opening, means forming an air chamber beneath the bottom of the pot and having said opening communicating therewith, means in the pot for receiving air from said opening and carrying it upwardly and discharging it in spaced horizontal planes in and above the fire pot, means for introducing air into said chamber, means for delivering fuel liquid into the fire pot, said pot and chamber being spaced from the casing providing an air passageway surrounding the pot, an outlet in the casing above the pot for the escape of fuel gases, a damper controlled air outlet in the bottom of said chamber, a wall extending upwardly from and forming a continuation of a wall of the air chamber to the top of said pot and in spaced relation with the same and spaced from the casing, and said wall being joined to the pot at the top and at the bottom thereof and forming a jacket chamber thereabout.

3. An oil burning unit for disposition within a furnace casing, comprising a body having a vertical side wall and a bottom wall, said bottom wall having an air opening therethrough, damper means disposed adjacent said opening for regulating the flow of air therethrough, a fire pot within said body having an upwardly and outwardly flaring side wall and a bottom wall raised at its center, said bottom wall of the fire pot having an opening therethrough, said fire pot side wall being joined with the top of said body side wall, a horizontal wall between the lower part of said fire pot and the body side wall forming an air chamber below the fire pot, means for introducing air into said chamber, a fuel oil pipe leading into the lower part of said fire pot, a vertically disposed pipe arranged centrally within the fire pot and having its lower end in communication with said fire pot bottom opening, and a hollow body upon the upper end of said pipe and extending partially above the top of the fire pot, said pipe having an annular series of air openings adjacent said fire pot bottom and a second annular series of openings adjacent the top of the fire pot and within the same and said hollow body having an annular series of air openings disposed in a plane slightly above the plane of the top of the fire pot.

COMINARDO RIALDINI. 

